ESCONDIDO ELECTION PANEL, CITY CLASHING

Commission claims independence; mayor calls group ‘anti-city’

Flores and Carey say they also want the city attorney’s office to be excluded from the panel’s work.

After that suggestion, City Attorney Jeff Epp sent the commission a memo asserting they’ve exaggerated how independent they’re supposed to be. Finberg responded with his own memo, saying the commission has the right to obtain independent legal counsel.

The commission is scheduled to debate Thursday what role, if any, the city attorney’s office will play going forward.

The commission has also been unable to agree on a budget, with the proposed cost of its work rising from an estimated $110,000 to $138,000 during the three meetings held.

Abed said the turbulence has bogged down the commission, which is supposed to hold six public hearings and then agree on a rough draft of the proposed boundaries by December.

Commission Chairwoman Dana Nuesca said she’s been disappointed by the contentious atmosphere of the meetings, but added most of acrimony has been commissioners complaining about the city’s track record on race relations — not infighting among commissioners.

“I think the commission has jelled, and we’ve started to figure out how this process will work,” she said.